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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Loving Their "No"

Jane SmithDoesn’t like saying, “No,” to friends. Sigh.

Jane spoke for many with her Facebook status update last week. I certainly could relate. Even though I know it’s important to have good boundaries, I still struggle to say “no” sometimes – especially to people I care about.

People who struggle with saying “no” need to be reminded that those who really love you will love your “no” as much as your “yes.” As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:5, real love “does not insist on its own way.”

Those of us on the path to marriage need to become people who can graciously accept the word “no.” The ability to love another person’s boundaries is a crucial skill for building a healthy marriage as well as an important aspect of Christian maturity...